


Hidden Treasures

by nuricurry



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, The Iliad - Homer, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 20:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7375480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuricurry/pseuds/nuricurry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it's best to sneak away, and find something new to explore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden Treasures

Achilles moves as if the very Earth depends on him to cause it to turn. He is never able to sit still for very long; that much has been evident since he was young, and was always running off, much to the exasperation of his father and tutors. And, always, it would be Patroclus they would turn to, to ask that he go find the boy, knowing that if he was to be found, it was Patroclus alone that would be able to do it. Never one to refuse, the older boy would nod his head and set out in his search, carrying with him a small satchel filled with bread and a water skin, since Achilles was always hungry, after one of his disappearances. Eventually, Patroclus would find him, since he only had to look in the same few places that Achilles frequented– either in a tree somewhere in the woods, his long legs dangling over the branches, or on the cliffs overlooking the sea, the wind making knots in his golden hair, or hiding in the long grassy fields of the kingdom’s pastures, only revealing his presence when Patroclus would call his name, and the boy’s head would appear in the sea of rippling green. They would sit and talk while Achilles ate and drank, until he was satisfied and then they would pick everything up, in order to return home. Sometimes, they would get detoured; Achilles enjoyed discovering new things, and at times his attention only last the length of time it took him to look from one thing to the next, but, eventually, they would find their way back to the palace, and Achilles would receive his customary scolding, before he was let off easily once again, only for the same thing to happen, at best, a few days later. But Patroclus expected no less of him, and laughed quietly to himself each time it happened. At the very least, it gave him a chance for a moment of peace himself, when he would be sent off to find the prince,and return him home.

As they grew older, that much about Achilles never truly changed. He would still run away whenever he pleased, but, the difference now was that, more often than not, he would bring Patroclus with him. Sometimes, he even give his father or one of the guards warning, saying that they were off to go hunting, or training, or they had some sort of errand to do. But, in reality, almost always, what he really wanted to do was just move, and shake himself free of the confines of his royalty, free to do whatever he wanted, without someone looking over his shoulder, and nitpicking every moment of his life.

Today was a day no different from the others, Achilles still pouncing on Patroclus the moment he finished breakfast, catching him before he joined the other boys in practicing their spear parrying in the courtyard, and pulling him aside. “Come with me,” he said, in his way that was never really a request, but more an instruction, but Patroclus had long since grown immune to the urge to follow him blindly.

“What lessons are you avoiding today?”

Achilles scoffed, but his mouth also turned down slightly into a pout, before he said, “Nothing important. Come with me; I want to show you something.”

When he and Achilles had first become friends, Peleus had asked the older boy that he look after his son, doing what he could to keep him in line, since he was one of the few that Achilles actually bothered to listen to, aside from his mother, and Chiron. Patroclus had taken that responsibility to heart, and tried his best to do as Peleus said, but he was still a mostly a boy himself, and truthfully, Achilles had a knack for catching his interest, especially when he came to him with comments like that, rather vague, but enough to hint at something different, since rarely did Achilles ever want to share the same thing twice. He was young and lacked the patience to bother with anything he had already seen before; when he came to Patroclus, wanting to share something, it was certainly something new to both of them.

For a moment, Patroclus had hesitated. But, Achilles began to pull on his hand again, and he relented, following after him as the prince lead him away, and the two of them disappeared from the palace grounds.

The path that Achilles took him on lead towards the beach, which at first confused Patroclus, since it wasn’t unusual for them to go down to the shore quite frequently. It wasn’t anything new, to spend the day swimming in the water, or stretched out on the sand, and so he had turned to Achilles, asking if that was what his plan was, only for the other to shake his head, and remind him, “Just wait.” Being told to be patient by Achilles, of all people, was quite the remark, and so Patroclus didn’t press further, instead simply following the other’s lead without complaint.

They were headed towards the shore, but they did not stop there. Instead, before they reached the water, Achilles changed their course, heading more towards the cliffs, than the sea. That was different enough that it caught Patroclus by surprise, and so his confusion was put aside in favor of curiosity. Where Achilles eventually brought him to was the base of one of those tall cliffs that met between the sand and sea. The jagged edge went out into the water, before stopping, and as they approached the wall of rock and earth, that was when Achilles turned to him again. “This way,” he said, before he kicked off his sandals, and pulled off his chiton, removing anything that might have weighed him down before he stepped into the water, and waded out, until he reached a depth where he could swim. Without needing further instruction, Patroclus did the same, pulling free of his own clothes and shoes, and he slipped into the water as well, following after Achilles, as he began to swim along the cliff, Patroclus having to lengthen his strokes as much as he could, in order to catch up– Achilles had always been a strong swimmer.

They were several yards out when the younger boy stopped, and tread water until Patroclus was beside him, before he gestured with his head towards the side of the cliff. Patroclus followed his motion, and saw the opening in the craggy rock, previously unknown to them; it’s position on the cliff kept it hidden from view to anyone standing on the beach. That was their destination it seemed, because without another word, Achilles swimmed towards it, and as always, Patroclus was not far behind.

The opening turned out to be the mouth of a cae. Once they entered, it was too dark to see anything, the only light coming from the sun outside, but soon they swam in too deep for it to reach. It felt like several minutes had passed since entering the cave before Patroclus felt the water begin to shallow, but eventually, the two of them were able to touch solid ground beneath their feet, and they stood up, walking out the rest of the way. Still too dark to see, Patroclus reached out, and felt Achilles’ hand easily find his, the younger slipping their fingers together.

“Come on,” he encouraged, with a tug.

“I can’t see anything.”

From the blackness came Achilles’ laugh. “Then I’ll see for you.”

Patroclus wanted to ask what he meant, wanted to know how he could see at all, with no light, nothing at all, to give them a sense of where they were. But he didn’t. He had long since grown used to Achilles being able to do things that no other human had any right to do.

They kept their hands laced together as they walked, and Patroclus found that his steps grew more confident, the longer they moved, his body trusting Achilles’ to guide him without mishap. Gradually, however, the darkness began to lighten, so slowly that at first, Patroclus wondered if perhaps his mind was just playing tricks on him. But then, everything began to brighten, and Patroclus had to blink and rub his eyes, when light hit them properly once again.

The tunnel they had walked through opened up into a cavern, and along with that, it brightened, receiving light through some hole far above. The bits of sunlight that came through were narrow, but still enough to illuminate the cavern, especially those that fell upon pool of water that was in the center of the cavern. With the sun hitting it, the water became a light source all of it’s own, casting reflections of the water’s surface on the cavern walls and ceiling. For a long moment, Patroclus was only in awe, silently taking in all that he saw. However, then, his attention was shifted back to Achilles, and he looked over to him, wondering what it was he thought. “How did you find this place?”

Achilles shrugged. “My mother showed it to me.”

“I never knew there was a place like this so close by. This is the perfect place to go, when you want to hide,” Patroclus remarked, and the other boy nodded.

The two of them went to sit on an outcropping of rock that hung over the edge of the pool, slipping their feet into the water. For a time, they said nothing, only lazily kicking their feet in the shallow pool, until Achilles splashed Patroclus with some water, and grinned at him once he did. In retaliation, Patroclus splashed back, and Achilles returned the favor again, until they were just kicking water at one another, their laughs echoing against the stone chamber as they did. Apparently having decided to up the game further, Achilles suddenly pushed Patroclus until he fell off their perch and into the water, the older boy tumbling in with a short shout.

When he resurfaced, Achilles was laughing, but, not for very long, because Patroclus grabbed his ankles, still dipped into the water, and pulled him down into it along with him.

Achilles rose from the water with his golden hair stuck to his face, and it was Patroclus’ turn then to laugh, poking fun at him, while the young prince shook his head, and smoothed his hair back, away from his face. A look was exchanged between the two of them, only a moment of pause given, before the games continued, and they reached out for each other at the same time, alternating between trying to push each other’s heads under the water, and fight the other’s hands away. Patroclus finally found an advantage, as his hands darted through the water to find Achilles’ sides, and he began to tickle the other mercilessly, making Achilles begin to howl with laughter and trash in the water, trying to pull away from him. Patroclus chased him as he retreated to the shallower depths, until Achilles’ retreat had the younger boy on his back, in a few inches of water, and Patroclus over him, hands still tickling over his sides, and a smile spread across his face. The other’s hands at last snapped out, grabbing onto his wrists, and Achilles was finally able to still his hands, and look up at Patroclus, his face flushed and damp hair hanging in his eyes again, but he was smiling, and soft chuckles still slipped past his lips.

“Are you admitting defeat?” Patroclus teased.

The only answer that Achilles gave was his head tilting upwards, and his mouth finding Patroclus’.

A moment of surprise quickly faded, soon replaced by a surge of excitement, and desire. Patroclus returned that kiss, his lips covering Achilles’ own, and the two of them continued on like that for some time, simply enjoying one another, relishing in the sensation of that kiss.

Time passed slowly for them, when they kissed, but, at last they pulled apart, and Achilles spared another grin up at Patroclus, those eyes of his bright, and almost seeming to glow, in the light reflecting off the water. “I think you were the one who should admit defeat,” he remarked, teasing the other for how easily he had been distracted by that kiss.

“Hm,” Patroclus snorted at him, giving him a playful look, “We’ll call it a draw,” he said, before he dipped his head to kiss him again. Achilles seemed to agree.


End file.
